Beauty of a Home

Building A Home

The walls of a house are not made of wood, brick or stone, but of truth and loyalty.

Unpleasant sounds, the friction of living, the clash of personalities are not deadened by Persian rugs or polished floors, but by conciliation, concession and self-control.

The house is not a structure where bodies meet, but a hearthstone upon which flames mingle separate flames of souls which, the more perfectly they unite, the more clearly they shine and the straighter they rise toward Heaven.

Your house is your fortress in a warring world, where a woman’s hand buckles on your armour in the morning and soothes your fatigue and wounds at night.

The beauty of a house is harmony.

The security of a house is loyalty.

The joy of a house is love.

The plenty of a house is in children.

The rule of a house is service.

The comfort of a house is in contented spirits.

The maker of a house, a real human house, is God Himself, the same One who made the stars and built the world.

- Emmanuel Baptist News

Lenten Activities For People

a) participating in the Mass daily or a few days in the week;

b) setting aside some part of my day for personal prayer;

c) reading some Scripture, alone or, better still, with others;

d) setting aside some money that I might spend on myself for meals, entertainment or clothes and giving it to an organization which takes care of the less fortunate in our society;

e) abstaining from smoking, alcohol and other evil addictions;

f) receiving the sacrament of reconciliation in Lent and participating in the “Stations of the Cross” on Fridays;

g) visiting the sick and those in nursing homes and doing some acts of charity, kindness and mercy every day in the Lent.

Attitudes for Faith

1) A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing.

2) He who kneels before God can stand before anyone.

3) To be almost saved is to be totally lost.

4) When praying, don't give God instructions - just report for
duty.

5) Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory
position.

6) Coincidences happen when God chooses to remain anonymous.

7) If God is your co-pilot - swap seats.

Call and Excuses

Call of God and Excuses

When God Sends People...They Make Excuses: Abraham was too old. Moses stuttered. Miriam was a gossip. Jacob was a liar. Gideon doubted. Elijah was burned out. First David's armor didn't fit, then he had an affair, and had someone killed. Solomon was too rich. Isaiah had unclean lips. Jeremiah was too young. Jonah didn't like the job. Amos's only training was in the school of fig-tree pruning. Naomi was a widow. Peter was afraid of death. Thomas was from Missouri (the "show-me" state) Paul was a murderer. Mark was rejected by Paul. Timothy had ulcers. Lazarus was dead. Martha was a worry-wart. ...or so they claimed, before God's Spirit empowered them to rise to the occasion and become some of the greatest heroes of our faith. ------- Another shorter version: Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper, David had an affair, Noah got drunk, Jonah ran away from God ,Paul was a murderer, Gideon was insecure, Miriam was gossiper, Martha was a nerve wreck, Thomas was a doubter, Sarah was impatient, Elijah was depressed, Moses stuttered, Zaccheus was short, Abraham was old and Lazarus was dead. God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

Bamboo Seeds and Faith

Bamboo Seeds

The Power of the Seed Theme: Faith is a powerful seed.

One of the strangest seeds in the world is the seed of the Chinese bamboo tree. It lies buried in the soil for five years before any seedling or sprout appears above ground. Think of it! Five years! All during these five years the seed must be cultivated, that is, watered and fertilized regularly. Now comes the big surprise.

When the bamboo seedling finally emerges from the ground, it grows to a height of nine feet in just six weeks. Why does the seedling take so long to emerge? Why does it grow so fast once it emerges? Plant experts say that during its first five years in the soil the bamboo seed is busy building an elaborate root system. It's this root system that enables it to grow nine feet in six weeks.

Application: Does our faith have deep roots? How can we know? What is our root system that nourishes us spiritually every day?

Biblical Humor

Biblical Humor

Q. What kind of man was Boaz before he married? A. Ruthless Q. What do they call pastors in Germany? A. German Shepherds. Q. Who was the greatest financier in the Bible? A. Noah. He was floating his stock while everyone else was in liquidation. Q. What was the greatest female financier in the Bible? A. Pharaoh's daughter. She went down to the bank of the Nile and drew out a little prophet. Q. What kind of motor vehicles are in the Bible? A. Jehovah drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden in a Fury. David's Triumph was heard throughout the land. Honda, because the apostles were all in one Accord. Q. Who was the greatest comedian in the Bible? A. Samson. He brought the house down. Q. What excuse did Adam give to his children as to why he no longer lived in Eden? A. Your mother ate us out of house and home. Q. Which servant of God was the most flagrant lawbreaker in the Bible? A. Moses. He broke all 10 commandments at once. Q. Which area of Palestine was especially wealthy? A. The area around Jordan. The banks were always overflowing. Q. Who is the greatest baby-sitter mentioned in the Bible? A. David. He rocked Goliath to a very deep sleep. Q. Which Bible character had no parents? A. Joshua, son of Nun.   Q. Was the trouble in paradise with the apple on the tree or the "pear" on the ground? A. The pair   Q. What is the difference between Noah's Ark and Joan of Arc? A. one was made of wood and the other maid of Orleans.

Generosity Pays Off

Would you please occupy my room for the night?

One stormy night many years ago, an elderly man and his wife entered the lobby of a small hotel in Philadelphia. Trying to get out of the rain, the couple approached the front desk hoping to get some shelter for the night. "Could you possibly give us a room here?" the husband asked. The clerk, a friendly man with a winning smile, looked at the couple and explained that there were three conventions in town. "All of our rooms are taken," the clerk said. "But I can't send a nice couple like you out into the rain at one o'clock in the morning. Would you perhaps be willing to sleep in my room? It's not exactly a suite, but it will be good enough to make you folks comfortable for the night." When the couple declined, the young man pressed on. "Don't worry about me; I'll make out just fine," the clerk told them. So the couple agreed. As he paid his bill the next morning, the elderly man said to the clerk, "You are the kind of manager who should be the boss of the best hotel in the United States. Maybe someday I will build one for you." The clerk looked at them and smiled. The three of them had a good laugh. As they drove away, the elderly couple agreed that the helpful clerk was indeed exceptional, as finding people who are both friendly and helpful isn't easy. Two years passed. The clerk had almost forgotten the incident when he received a letter. It was from the old man, who recalled in it that stormy night and enclosed a round-trip ticket to New York so the young man could pay them a visit. The old man met him in New York. He then pointed to a great new building there, a palace of reddish stone, with turrets and watchtowers thrusting up to the sky. "That," said the older man, "is the hotel I have just built for you to manage.” “You must be joking," the young man said. "I can assure you I am not," said the older man, a sly smile playing around his mouth. The older man's name was William Waldorf Astor, and the magnificent structure was the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, one of the world's most glamorous hotels. The young clerk who became its first manager was George C. Boldt. Here is a striking proof of what Jesus tells us in today’s gospel, “If a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies it produces much fruit.” Young George Boldt buried his own comfort and convenience by giving up his room. His sacrifice sprouted and brought forth the reward of becoming the manager of the most outstanding hotels in the world.